


Discussions

by ilyena_sylph



Series: Inheritance-verse [6]
Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-10-22
Updated: 2006-10-22
Packaged: 2017-10-18 00:47:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/183146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilyena_sylph/pseuds/ilyena_sylph
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things said and unsaid between various members of the intertwined families... and one uninvolved, worried bystander. Roy's protective, Bruce is... Bruce, and Dinah is her usual, delightful self. <span class="small">Unless your name is Ollie Queen, of course.</span></p>
            </blockquote>





	Discussions

//I can't believe I'm doing this...// Roy thought to himself as he sat parked in front of Wayne Manor's gates, thumbing his cell uneasily. //This is really, really stupid... but I can't let Dick stumble into the middle of this, so...// Without stopping to think any more about it, he dialed the number for the Manor--the right number, the one that would ring straight to Alfred.

The phone ringing at this hour of the night rarely meant good tidings, and Alfred answered promptly. "Wayne Manor."

"Alfred, it's Roy, I'm sitting outside. Could you let me in?"

A moment's pause, and then, "Of course, Master Harper. One moment, if you will excuse me?"

"Sure, Alfred," Roy nodded and hung up, waited for the gates to swing open, then drove through and up to the house.

As the car came up the drive, Alfred paged the Cave. "Master Bruce?"

"Alfred."

"For whatever reason, sir, Master Harper has just arrived..."

"....." The silence spoke more volumes to Alfred than any words might have, and fit entirely too well with the black mood Bruce had been in since the latest trouble had ended.

"Shall I see him down, sir, or will you be coming up?"

"Let him come down." That, Alfred knew, was a power ploy, keeping Bruce in the place he felt strongest.

The power play was utterly transparent to the man who had known Bruce all his life, he wished to meet the boy from a position of as much strength as possible... He reminded himself again that there were things he did not need to know, and simply agreed. "As you wish, sir." He went to meet the young man, waiting as he stepped out of the car. "Master Harper."

"Evening, Alfred. Is Bruce in, or am I going to be cooling my heels a while?"

"He is below, and expecting you."

Roy sighed, thinking, //Great, beard the Bat in his Cave, brilliant Harper, just brilliant...// "Alright, Alfred, lead the way--I don't think I've been here since the Quake." Dick had said they'd rebuilt almost exactly, but he'd never been good at getting around in the original Manor, let alone this new one.

Alfred nodded once, and turned to lead the way, opening the grandfather clock, but as he started to step in-- "I think I can handle the stairs on my own, Alfred, and this is probably going to be one of those conversations you'd rather not overhear, if you don't mind?"

Alfred studied his face a moment, then nodded. He would find the details later, if it became necessary.

Roy flashed a weak smile at him, and headed down the stairs, looking around for the Bat as he reached the bottom of them. //Man, he's done some _serious_ remodeling since I was down here last...// It didn't take long at all to locate him. The man was sitting at the computer, still looking over the incoming patrol reports.

//...oh, yes. This is going to go _real_ well, but at least the cowl's down... I don't think I could talk about this with the Bat. Bruce is going to be difficult enough.// Roy thought, and walked over to lean against the desk, about a foot outside the Bat's space. He'd learned a little patience over the years, after all...

"Arsenal."

Hm. Seemed like he wasn't going to be needed much of it tonight. Thus far, anyway. "Do you see the suit, Bruce? ...Sorry. Evening."

The older man turned and looked at him with narrow eyes. "Why are you here?"

"Because life's been really, _really_ interesting for me lately and you're right in the middle of it this time. You've got the answers I'm looking for."

"I have no idea what you mean." His voice was flat and full of plausible deniability.

"Tell that to Ollie's ribs." //Riiight, Bats. Un-uh. You know exactly why I'm here.//

Bruce looked back at his notes for the night's patrol. "I had business with Queen."

"...Just how _did_ you find out he slept with Dick, anyway?" curious, light voice. Fine, if Bats wanted to play coy, he'd be direct.

Bruce did not look up at him, a small flick of annoyance creeping through the set of his shoulders. "I had things to discuss with Nightwing that night."

Roy whistled softly, shaking his head. "That answers that one, you tracked him." There was a lot he wanted to say to that, but... definitely one of those nights to pick his words carefully. "...You know how bad it would mess with Dick to realize you know, right?"

"I had no intention of telling him. It's not his concern." The voice was still flat, as if Roy was stupid for even implying that he would mention it.

"Didn't think _you'd_ tell him, Bats. But for you and Ollie to go 'round, right now? There's only one reason. So who else knows you two fought?" //God, you can be such a jackass.// "Bad enough that he'll find out Oracle knows."

"Oracle knows the value of silence." Bruce looked up at Roy with a question lurking in his eyes, but did not let it slip past his lips. "The only other witness would never speak of it."

"You sure? Not even to him? And, what're you thinking, Bruce?" That was what he was most worried about, one of the other heroes asking Dick what the heck was up between GA and Bats...

"I have patrol details to finish logging, Harper."

Roy looked at him in frustration--close as he could get to glaring full-force at the Bat. "There was something, if even _I_ could see it, what's up?" He'd take the lack of an answer as 'yes, i'm sure'.

"A phone call would have sufficed," Batman growled at him. "The secret goes no further. You, myself, Ollie, Oracle, and Black Canary."

"Like you'd have said two words to me if I'd just called you. Riiight. And like I'd want this on the airwaves." Give the former Checkmate agent a _little_ credit, Bats, come on. "Yeah, Ollie'll keep his mouth shut, Dinah and Oracle've done their meddling, and I'm not about to let him find out." //And Connor can keep Mia shut up.// "Good enough, I guess."

Batman looked at the young man for a long moment. "Is he a passing interest, or a true companion?" It pained him to ask, but he had to know.

Flash of hot, bright anger in his eyes, //I thought you were observant, Bats... How can you even _ask_...// but he managed to keep his words calm. "I've loved him since I was old enough to know what it _was_ , Bruce. He's my best friend, my partner... Why'd you _think_ I agreed to build the Outsiders?"

Bruce grunted softly, standing to walk away from the computer. "Take care of him."

"I'm going to try. ...Bruce... give him some space, would you? He's gonna have enough trouble getting his head back on straight, without--" //Shitshitshit _stop_ right there....//

"Without me pushing him, Harper?" The older man turned and looked at the redhead with a sardonic glance. "Don't worry."

"Yeah, that." //Well, that's close enough, anyway.// "All right. Thanks... and by the way, nice work. Wish I could've seen that..." He'd seen a couple of their sparring sessions, back before things got so twisted, and he remembered being awed...

Bruce shook his head. "No. You don't."

Roy thought about it for a minute. "Okay, you're right. I probably don't... and on that note, I'm going to clear out."

"Will you be going to the Haven?" The question would have been a polite inquiry from anyone else. From Bruce...it sounded more like a strong suggestion.

Perhaps even a blessing.

"Planning on it, yeah. I don't have to be back in NYC til tomorrow afternoon." //Did he really just... holy shit. And with "take care of him"... wow...//

Bruce nodded, and said nothing more.

Roy waited a moment, then headed up, amazed he'd come out of the... discussion unscathed. It wasn't like Bruce to take emotional hits without swinging back... and he'd dished out a couple, tonight.

Bruce waited until the younger man was gone and sat back down, hand shaking just a hair.

*~*~*~

The sight of a certain young redhead leaving the Wayne Manor gave J'onn some pause. He had come, worried over the events on the satellite, to offer his support to Bruce, to help him in whatever manner he could. The emotions had flowed too strongly for the alien to ignore his friend's need, but was only just free enough to come. He maintained his invisibility, and worked his way toward the outer entrance of the Cave, rather than disturb the household proper.

A set of sensors flashed their warning, and the Bat's shoulders tensed. //I am in no fit state to deal with him tonight,// he knew, but there was little chance his alien friend would be willing to simply go away, no matter what he said, so he spent the time between the alert and J'onn's arrival near him rebuilding--again--the walls around his emotions.

The alien walked into view a few minutes later, wearing the face of the private eye John Jones. That was warning enough to the Bat that his friend was both concerned and not taking no for an answer.

"Good evening, J'onn," he said as he finished sorting through the night's reports. He was going to need to talk to Robin soon, something was bothering the young man, it was obvious in his notes.

"Good evening." Midwest accent, inflections of an urban dweller, and it just was perfectly matched to the persona, but Bruce could feel the underlying tones of his longtime friend. "I figured I'd stop in and see how you were." The sharp contrast of Jones' less formal speech and the Martian's proper etiquette was fully on display here, a calculated distraction.

"I'm fine, J'onn." //And you're doing that deliberately,// his eyes narrowed at the intentional, distracting contrast. There were days he enjoyed J'onn's penchant for playing with different aspects of humanity, but not this time.

"I get the feeling you're holding back." John perched on the corner of the computer console, his body language nonchalant as he did. Now the inevitable mental touch came, as J'onn tried, politely, to ask Bruce to let him in. The touch was lighter than normal, barely brushing Bruce's public mind, with an offer of support, of listening and helping.

"Hm." A variety of bitterly sarcastic replies suggested themselves, but J'onn had done nothing to deserve his ire. "I'll _be_ fine, then, if that suits you better." He shook his head, deliberately reinforcing his walls. The _last_ thing he wanted was J'onn inside his mind right now, in among the long-buried demons he was so far from suppressing.

John frowned slightly, and then he looked up at Bruce, eyes melting from the common brown to the unnerving alien red in black for a moment. He was worried, far more worried than even Clark had been, over what had occurred. The mental touch pulled back, leaving just a thread of 'I-am-here'. "You know, you do have friends who care what you're up to these days, Bruce."

"I know, J'onn," //but there's nothing you can do.// "There's no need to worry over... further confrontations between Green Arrow and myself. The situation's resolved." //And you can't help me with the rest of this, J'onn.//

"It is not Oliver I am concerned about," the Martian said, flowing into his hybrid form as he stood. "Something is weighing you down, my friend, and I cannot just stand aside as you fight yet more demons alone."

"Yes you can, J'onn. They're my demons to deal with."

J'onn's eyes narrowed to tiny pinpoints, his nostrils flaring sharply. "So it is alright for you to dictate to me that I am not alone, that my problems are meant to be shared, but yours are not? I never knew you to be so hypocritical, my friend."

The slap hit, and Bruce's eyes blazed with hot anger. "Don't lecture me, J'onn. There are reasons." //Reasons on top of reasons, truly.//

"I would never presume to lecture to you." The alien moved away, cape falling around his shoulders much as Batman's did. "If the man that saved my life chooses to spurn an attempt to repay some of that debt, who am I to force it?"

"There's no debt, J'onn... and if the situation were not what it is, I believe I would take your aid."

"You doubt my discretion?" J'onn let a tinge of disappointment flavor his voice. "This pertains to your protege in some way. As I saw the young man, Roy Harper, leaving here."

:No I don't!: Bruce flung the single thought at him, sincerity behind it, and he simply nodded once to the rest of J'onn's words. "Yes, it's about Dick."

J'onn inclined his head. "So the privacy you protect is his." The slight mental touch increased; he suspected more, but was willing to let it go...as long as Bruce was truly well in his mind and heart.

Bruce simply nodded, willing to admit to that much. //His, mine, Roy's...// The thought of his son's lover had been a mistake, making his emotions whipsaw between anger, relief, and the same savage possession that had triggered his fight with Queen--and he was unsure if he'd managed to keep it locked down

The twist of J'onn's hand toward him showed him he had not; the alien was too alert to him, trying to reach him. "Bruce..." An open invitation layered those words.

"I can't, J'onn." Simple truth, but it startled him to realize why. //what would you think of me, if I told you?// He had not realized that J'onn's good opinion of him mattered so much.

J'onn's eyes grew hooded then, as he drew back physically and mentally. "It is your choice." He prepared to leave, rising slightly in the air. "But, as you told me, you are _never_ alone. Not with your fight, your mission, or even your demons."

He couldn't help a harsh laugh at that, torn between the gentleness in J'onn's offer and the disaster his recent nights had been, the turmoil that kept him sharp-edged and off-balance. "Not with some of them, perhaps." He then shook his head, attempting to wave it off.

J'onn contemplated Bruce, seeing the certain signs of wear and tear around his eyes. He then settled down, closer to Bruce than he had been. "Bruce...no matter what it is haunting you, you do know I wish only to help? For all you have ever done for me, the support you have granted me over the years, I feel it only right to be here for you."

"I'm not sure there _is_ help for this, J'onn. But to answer your question, yes, I do know."

"You will never know until you share it with someone." //if not me, then someone, Bruce// The taller man matched gazes a long moment.

Bruce weighed his choices, considered the times J'onn had known what he needed to hear, had understood... and leaned over to flip the switch that would deaden every sound and visual system within the Cave. Oracle could be angry with him later. Then, despite his words to that over-observant child of Queen's, he found himself willing to speak of at least part of it. "Oliver somehow decided there would be no harm in seducing my boy, while he was in my city."

J'onn settled in meditative pose, hovering in lotus near Bruce, looking like a benevolent djinn. "A grievous error in judgment, I agree, Bruce, but the fury within you...there is more."

He flinched, physically... then began, slowly, to open his walls. He could not make the words to speak of his shame come... and the half-buried fear of losing his friend sat like acid in his throat as he tried to convince himself to allow J'onn to see.

J'onn made the intrusion into his mind as gentle as possible from the first opening of the walls. He had no wish to hurt Bruce; he truly only desired to make things right for this man who suffered a deep abiding loneliness.

Finally, Bruce let him see the memory of his search for his partner... and what that had brought out in him, what he had never allowed to surface until he was brought face-to-face with it.

Slowly, J'onn saw the source of conflict, the savage anger that had resulted as much from his territory being encroached as from the internal struggle of mores concerning the proper nature of the relationship between Bruce and his young protege.

"So... now you see." //And you think?//

J'onn nodded impassively. "Answer one question, my friend. Do you see Dick being with Harper as the thing that makes him most happy?" He would approach this obliquely.

"Most happy? I'm not sure. Can they be good together? Absolutely."

"Do you think you could give him that happiness?"

"No, J'onn, I _don't_."

J'onn nodded. "And you want him to be happy."

"Yes. Do you feel like getting to the point at some time tonight?"

"This from a man who has the patience to sit on a rooftop, in the rain, for hours," J'onn scolded gently. "My point is, no matter what you felt, or feel, you will put Dick's welfare first. To hold this guilt, to let it consume you, is not healthy, for yourself, and impacts your ability to both do your mission and see to the welfare of your loved ones. There is no shame in loving another, though I do see the social connotations that plague you."

Bruce's jaw literally dropped as J'onn's last words met his ears, //"See the social--" ...he is an alien,// he reminded himself, shaking his head, pulling himself back together. "No shame, J'onn?" the words were not angry, more... disbelieving, than anything else. "Tell that to most of human history."

"I disagree. Shall I point out feudal Japan, or Classic Greece?"

"I didn't say all. And you could, but I would simply reply about class boundaries and the stigma of being 'too attached' to one's wife, which would get us precisely nowhere--though the debate might, another time, be worthwhile."

J'onn nodded his head toward Bruce. "Your life has not been defined by the societal norms to date. Take that, and the fact that so much of your interaction has been under the influence of strong adrenaline, plus the boy's natural...sensuality, is there any real surprise your subconscious entertained thoughts of a physical attachment?"

Bruce shook his head in disbelief, staring at J'onn with a completely unreadable expression. "It _should_ be surprising, considering that I raised him, J'onn, watched him grow up... It's... he's practically my child, J'onn." //I should not, no matter the situation...//

"You never acted on those impulses." J'onn pointed this out with firm resolve. "Accept that you were human enough to notice, but noble enough to deny."

Bruce tilted his head at him, thinking, unwilling to be so easily absolved... but unable to deny the basic truth of J'onn's words.

"Once you accept that, you can more honestly approach the future." J'onn tilted his head to one side.

"J'onn... thank you."

The alien nodded. "I am always at your service."

Bruce studied him a moment, then nodded again, accepting that... and filed J'onn's words away as ammunition against this demon, so long as he continued to restrain himself.

"And Bruce..." J'onn shifted back to another form, that of the brassy, beautiful Goldie Johnston. "Don't be a stranger next time."

Bruce shook his head, managing a slight smile. "I'll see you next week, J'onn."

The woman smiled, and nodded, before the alien shifted again and went invisible to fly away from the cave without drawing attention.

Bruce leaned back against the chair, shaken... but somehow also relieved. As he sat back, he realized J'onn had left a tiny pulse point within his mind, a way to reach out, if he should be needed. //Meddlesome one,// he thought, but only within the privacy of his own mind, and turned his attention to other business--like reactivating the link to the Clocktower and Oracle.

Within seconds, the imperious mask of Oracle was on his screen, staring in electronic disapproval. "One of these days, Bruce, you're going to be attacked while on silent mode."

"Did you notice who my guest was? I was far from out of communication, had it been necessary."

"Need I remind you he is not above being mind controlled?" Bat-paranoia, reflected through his female protege, rang heavy.

Bruce indulged himself with the annoyed look he shot at her avatar, despite the truth of her words. J'onn could be... but he had not been. "We had spoken more than enough for me to be certain that was not the case, Oracle."

"On your own pointy head be it." The mask flickered off.

*~*~*

Roy walked back out to his car, never noticing the presence watching him, and as he dropped into his car, his phone jabbed into his side, making him stop a moment. //I know what Connor said, but... I've got to talk to Dinah.// He pulled the offending object out and flipped it open, punching her speed-dial.

"Your dime," came an immediate answer, with the muffled sound of being on her helmet phone.

"Hey, Di..."

"Hey Boy-o." There was a trace of concern that she could not mask as she tried to pretend it was a normal call from him.

"Where are you? I know you're on your bike, you busy?"

"Never too busy for you, Roy...I was just finishing up a little business." There was a pause. "It's not that bad, O. A few small cuts. Stop butting in." Her attention focused back on Roy. "And as to where, I'm just leaving the Gotham Harbor, on my way...no not to the clinic...home."

"Mind if I drop by? I might beat you there..." Considering traffic in as opposed to traffic out of the harbor? If he pushed it he could

"You've got the key and the code, Roy." She could not quite contain the glee in her voice that she was actually going to lay eyes on him, to see what her worthless no-good ex-lover had done to him with this latest stunt.

"See you soon," and he flicked the phone shut, heading for her place. He parked around the side and started in.

The sound of her motorcycle could be heard just as he made the door; he had no doubt she had pushed it too.

No sense in arguing with the door twice, so he just unlocked it and waited for her til she joined him, then held it open for her. She moved up to him, looping her arms around his waist and leaning up to press her cheek to his...then grimacing as she pulled some of the more obvious damage from her latest mission. "Good to see you, Roy."

"All right. You, inside, medkit, now," he said sternly, even as he pressed a kiss to her cheek and shut the door behind them.

"Oooh, bossy these days." Her eyes flicked over him, scanning his face with an intensity he knew to be her 'mothering' look.

Roy chuckled at her, flashing her a smile, "Well, someone's got to. Go on, Dinah..."

She pushed into the main part of her apartment, and he followed with an automatic scan. The first thing he noted was an absence of every single picture of Ollie...something he had never seen her do in any phase of the rocky relationship. She came back from her bedroom with a kit that was almost identical to Dick's.

"Does Oracle make these things or something?"

"Batman issues them, I think. Whoever handles these things for him." Which meant Alfred, likely. "How ya been, Roy?" She was fishing, not wanting to admit she knew things that were personal, but needing to know for certain.

"I'm good, Dinah. Really damned good, actually--and worried about you."

She let out a small breath of relief when her eyes could not find any sign of deceit. "No need to worry about me." She chuckled as he began tending the nasty abrasions where her costume had given way on her arm and side.

"Bull, Dinah. Connor told me you laid into Ollie over me and Dick."

Dinah blinked. "Remind me to teach him...and Mia...about eavesdropping." Dinah shook her head. "And I just said what needed to be said."

"Yeah, blame Mia," he agreed, being careful about cleaning out the wounds. "Di, he honest-to-god didn't know---don't ask me how, I don't get it, but he didn't know..."

"It doesn't matter," she said coldly. "What does is that you are okay...you and Dick both."

Roy winced, despite himself, at that tone about Ollie... kind of like the divorce-kids he'd talked to, he'd been holding out hope for a long time that they'd make it one of these times. "We're okay... we're back together, even. So we're better than okay."

She nodded. "That's the best I could have hoped for, Boy-o." She winced as he checked the ribs under the abrasion. "Bruised. I wound up meeting a wall rather roughly." She was not going to let them discuss Ollie. "So why were you in Gotham?"

"At least they're not broken. I was talking to the Bat--and all gods preserve me from having to do that again anytime soon!"

She giggled. "I can imagine. He's a prickly one." She looked up into his eyes. "I take it you know what he did?"

"Yeah, Connor confirmed that for me--hard to miss him favoring his ribs, when he showed up."

"Connor talks too much sometimes," Dinah said. "But I can't say I'm sorry he did it. Saved my knuckles."

"No, I hassled it out of Connor trying to find out if it _was_ you... Di," he bit his lip, "he really does feel like a heel about it..."

She stuck her nose up in the air, turning aside from him to pack up the medkit. "If you're heading home tonight, be careful, but I actually have a spare room."

"Actually, I'm heading down to the Haven for the rest of the night. Dinah... thanks, for sticking up for me."

She smiled to hear he was going to the Haven. "Be safe, Roy." She stood up before him, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

Roy wrapped his arms around her, pulling her gently against him. "I will be... What about you, Dinah?"

She laughed softly, a brittle sound. "I've got my work, Boy-o, and a busybody partner. What more could I ask for in life?" She nuzzled into him. "And then I have you and Lian, my family."

Roy held her close, "Yeah, you've got us. And Oracle, I know, but..." the brittle sound of her laugh worried him--a lot.

Dinah relented then. "He cheated on me twice, Roy. Once with Dick, and once in Star City. I don't know all the details, but he did, and I'm not playing this game again."

"I... okay, Di. I... god, won't he _ever_ learn? He loves you, I _know_ he loves you, and he just keeps on-- Damnit. Sorry. I don't want you to get caught in that game of his again, I don't, it's just..."

"It's his nature, and I'm wishing for something impossible to ever have his love to myself," she told him. "Now quit worrying about him and me, and go enjoy your own love affair."

Roy held her. "Shut the comm stuff off, would you? Just for a minute?"

Dinah smiled. "Turned her off the minute I knew you were coming over." She pointed up, and he saw a poster had been taped over a tile in her ceiling. "She irked me the other night."

Roy laughed and hugged her, "That's my Dinah. You might get a kick out of this, even though it's going to hit a nerve..." a pause just long enough to tease her, "while Connor was hitting Ollie over the head with how badly he'd screwed up, he said something... he called Dick 'Roy's Pretty Bird'..."

Dinah did wince, before running a hand over Roy's hair. "Treat him better." She then moved away from him, walking slowly to her kitchen.

"I'm sure as hell going to try," Roy agreed, wishing now that he'd kept his mouth shut, wishing he had some way to fix things for her... "I'm sorry, Di. I.."

She turned on him, her face very hard and eyes snapping. "Don't. Don't apologize for his stupid, inconsiderate, unthinking ass--" She clamped off the rest of the words, the pain she did not want to unload at him. "Boy-o, we knew a long time ago, things did not work. People apparently don't change even when they get a second chance at the game. Enough said, let it go, and get on over to the Haven before you have no time with him."

"I hate to leave you hurting, Di. You didn't leave me."

She smiled for him then, refusing to stand in his way. "Go. I'm not hurt enough to need more than some chocolate chip mint ice cream."

He frowned at her, then crossed the space to hug her tight, "Okay, Di. You've got my number, use it... I'll be around."

"I know." She hugged him tight, then stepped back.

"All right, all right, I'm gone. Enjoy that ice cream, Di." He could tell when she wanted her space, and now that he'd made up for that stupid, thoughtless trick of his own, he could go... Dick ought to be just about getting in at this point... "Later, Di," and he headed out her door.

"Later, Roy." She watched him go, then sighed softly.

Roy headed down to his car, then towards his lover, still annoyed with himself but willing to put it away. The question was, though, what the hell could he possibly do to make up for it that she wouldn't first think was from Ollie?

Dinah was pretty dead-set against the man now, and it would take quite a bit of time to let this one die down.

Roy thought about it while he drove... at least for the first half of the trip. As he hit the Haven, though, his thoughts turned to the man he never, ever wanted to hurt like that. He parked below Dick's apartment and headed up, letting himself in silently. He lost his boots, then moved easily through the apartment. Dick wouldn't wake if he moved normally, but he wasn't quiet enough to pussyfoot through Nightwing's space and not have him snap awake, if he was already asleep. Given the darkness of the apartment and the hour, he hoped he was. If he was still out... something bad had happened.

But, no. Dick was sprawled out across the bed, sheet draped up across his shoulders... and those blue eyes found his in the light from the streets as he settled beside his lover's hip. "Roy..." Soft, half-awake voice as he rolled onto his back, reaching up with both hands.

Roy ran his palms over the insides of Dick's wrists as those hands came up, felt the ghost-touch of Dick's palms against his, then dropped down beside him as Dick's hands slid higher. He twisted to pull his legs up onto the bed, arms going around him as Dick curled closer, rolled--

"Dick, you're going to push me off the bed, lover..." he teased gently, though the worry was real--and Dick frowned, scooting back in the bed, insistent hands pulling him along with him. Not that Roy was going to struggle. Dick's sleep-warm, shorts-clad body settled over his, pushing him down into the bed, mouth against his neck, one lazy hand brushing over his side... Dick growled, softly, mouth dropping to pull at the hem of his shirt with annoyed teeth, hand picking at it, and Roy laughed at him, petting down warm skin, pulling him closer...

Dick's lips came up to find his, and he lost himself in the warm, soft feel of his lover's lips and sleep-pliant body--he didn't get to take advantage of a sleep-sweet Nightwing all that often, and fully intended to.  



End file.
